PREFACE. 



In commencing the study of insects, the order Lcpithpiera, containing the beautiful tribes of 

 Butterflies, Sphinges, and Moths, seldom fails to attract the earliest attention of the naturalist. When 

 first I began to collect insects myself, my rambles in the fields and woods were confined to the day, and 

 in the mid-day sunshine Butterflies were the most conspicuous objects, and to that division consequently 

 my first labours of illustration were directed. But as I became more acquainted with the night-flying 

 tribes of this beautiful class of insects, I became still more interested in the Moths. The British Moths 

 aro not perhaps so gaily coloured as their more gaudy rivals, the butterflies ; but when we consider the 

 splendid sphinges, or twilight fliers, by whicli they aro linked to the day-flying butterflies, they can 

 scarcely bo deemed less beautiful. Indeed, in the larva stage, many moths surpass in their wonderful 

 raiment of velvet and satin, of ermine and sable, jewelled over with gold and silver studs of various 

 metallic tints, anything which the butterfly division can boast ; and the careful portraiture of these 

 truly magnificent caterpillars will form a principal feature in the present work. The gorgeous colouring 

 and texture of the caterpillar frequently disappear in the perfect moth ; but aro replaced by intricate 

 and graceful pencillings, and wonderfully elegant and varied markings, which amply repay the loss of 

 glowing tints. 



But the moths are infinitely more interesting to the collector on account of their numbers, in which 

 they greatly exceed the butterflies, anil wliich will oblige mo in the present work frequently to give as 

 many as twenty species upon a single plate ; a labour which I shall cheerfully undertake, in order to 

 produce a more complete, and at the same time more accessible work than has hitherto appeared upon 

 the subject ; for in order to make it equally popular and attainable by all classes, it will be published at 

 the same low price as the butterflies, notwithstanding the great increase of labour and expense attendant 

 upon its production. 



The occupation of forming a collection of moths is more interesting than is the case with butterflies, 

 inasmuch as with the former many ingenious stratagems may be employed with the greatest success ; 

 whilst with the latter, watching for the insect in the broad sunshine, and capturing it by sheer dexterity 

 of hand and speed of foot, is the only practicable mode of operation. Stratagem is certainly much more 

 interesting than this obvious mode of proceeding; for instance, when all appears utterly still in the 



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